Fire destroys home but occupants got out safely

LYNNWOOD — Several people escaped an early morning fire Wednesday that destroyed a home in south Snohomish County.

The fire at the two-story house was reported around 2:15 a.m. in the 1800 block of 204th Place SW in the Alderwood neighborhood.

“When firefighters arrived, the house was engulfed in flames and the fire had spread to two vehicles parked in the back yard,” Snohomish County Fire District 1 Leslie Hynes said.

At the peak of the fire, about 32 firefighters were on the scene, including crews from Fire District 1, Lynnwood and Bothell. No one was injured.

The man who rents the house told firefighters up to eight people were inside the house when the fire broke out. All made it out safely, but two dogs are unaccounted for. The Snohomish County chapter of the American Red Cross and Support 7 is assisting the renter and two other occupants.

“Because the fire was so large and the structure was already so heavily damaged when firefighters arrived, it was unsafe for crews to enter and they had to fight the flames from the outside,” Hynes said.

Firefighters had the fire under control in about 30 minutes, but were expected to remain on the scene throughout the morning to deal with hot spots, she said.

The Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating how the fire started. The house is a total loss.